On Tuesday, Feb. 2 — Groundhog Day — Flatiron Freddy, a deceased, taxidermied, top hat-wearing yellow-bellied marmot that is evidently Colorado’s answer to Punxsutawney Phil, failed to see his shadow in Boulder, apparently indicating that Colorado is in for an early spring.
First, we’d like to counter that, since Freddy is no longer living and no longer has working eyes, there is no possible way for Freddy to see his shadow or not and therefore cannot reliably predict additional winter or early spring.
There’s also the fact Freddy is a rodent and we’ve never seen proof that rodents reliably predict weather, though we’re sure someone, somewhere, has done a study. But we do appreciate the chuckle Freddy provided when we learned of his existence, and the fact that this year’s entrance and announcement by Freddy were themed to Olympic curling.
Second, we hope the marmot is wrong since we’ve barely had a winter to speak of.
We’re putting more stock — and hope — into Pagosa Weather, the National Weather Service and others who suggest something resembling seasonal weather is on its way.
And we’ll be crossing our fingers to see snow falling in Pagosa Springs.
Regardless of whether next week’s wintery weather comes to fruition or not, we should all keep in mind how last summer played out and how quickly the Oak Fire threatened hundreds of homes.
We should all take the defensibility of our spaces seriously when it comes to fire.
The Colorado State Forest Service (CSFS) suggests the following to help your location be wildfire ready:
• Regularly clear leaves, pine needles and other debris from your deck, roof and gutters.
• Rake and remove pine needles and leaves 5 feet from your home.
• Store firewood at least 30 feet from your home, preferably uphill, and never on or under your deck.
• Move items under your deck or porch to a storage area.
• Prune branches hanging over your roof and within 10 feet of your chimney.
• Remove flammable material within 6 vertical inches of your home’s siding.
• Mow grasses to 4 inches or less within 30 feet of your home.
• Clear brush, shrubs and other plants within 10 feet of propane tanks and gas meters.
• Screen attic, roof, eaves and foundation vents and wall-in areas below decks and stilt foundations with 1/8-inch metal mesh.
We also suggest checking out the tools available through the CSFS at csfs.colostate.edu/live-wildfire-ready/ — which even includes a tool that allows you to search your address to see the risk of wildfire.
While we dance, pray and hope for snow, we need to be ready for what could come next.
Flatiron Freddy evidently also called for the Patriots to win the Super Bowl this weekend, so we’ll see how accurate he is there.
Randi Pierce
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